Johnny Manziel, Mike Evans Will Leave Texas A&M Aggies Early for NFL

By Tyler Brett

There have been few players in college football who have been as explosive to watch as the dynamic duo of Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans with the Texas A&M Aggies. Manziel has been as exciting an offensive player as anyone in the country and became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy in 2012. Evans has been a home-run threat for the Aggies, breaking off huge gains in the passing game as he was named a finalist for the 2013 Biletnikoff Award. Both have done so much over the last two seasons that it is not surprising that both will declare for the NFLDraft following A&M’s Chick-fil-A Bowl matchup with the Duke Blue Devils.

NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt confirmed what many had suspected for some time on his Twitter early Monday morning.

No surprise but Manziel and Evans will be playing final college games tomorrow, multiple sources tell me. #TAMUvsDUKE

Manziel and Evans were the spark for the Aggies’ offensive attack, especially in 2013. Johnny Football followed up his Heisman season with a sophomore campaign where he looked better in the passing game. He finished the year throwing for 3,732 yards while rushing for another 686 yards and scoring 41 total touchdowns. Evans provided a big target on the outside for Manziel and hauled in 65 passes for 1,322 yards, averaging a robust 20.3 yards per reception, and scoring 12 touchdowns.

Both third-year sophomores will leave A&M with a wealth of highlight reel material for NFL scouts to sift through in the coming months. Manziel is rated as the No. 3 quarterback in the upcoming draft class, though he could rise to No. 1 if Teddy Bridgewater and Blake Bortles return for their senior seasons with the Louisville Cardinals and Central Florida Knights, respectively. Evans is similarly rated as the No. 3 wide receiver in the draft and will be a highly sought commodity with his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame for teams looking for a big pass-catching threat.

Texas A&M has enjoyed the services of Manziel and Evans over the last two seasons as they have developed into dynamic offensive playmakers who figure to go off the board early this spring at the NFL draft. Will the Aggies be able to find some playmakers in 2014 to replace their lost production next season or is A&M doomed to take a step back?